Malone feeling pressure at Mourneview

By Graham Luney

Glenavon boss Colin Malone has admitted his job is on the line - but he is backing his men to keep him in the Lurgan Blues hotseat.

If the Mourneview Park men are sucked into another relegation scrap, then Malone could be given his marching orders by club chiefs but he believes his new look squad offer him job security.

Glenavon certainly began the season with a bang, conquering Dungannon Swifts 3-2 last weekend, and they will be looking to maintain the feel-good factor at home to Ballymena United this afternoon.

However, if the wheels start falling off the Mourneview machine, Malone could be struggling to escape the axe.

" I'm like every other manager - I need results," he said.

" Last year was a very difficult campaign and we must do better this time round or the pressure will grow on me and the players.

" Glenavon can't keep fighting relegation battles year in, year out, and that situation will not be tolerated.

"If I can't produce something better than that then my position will be vulnerable however I now have people at the club who want to be here and I couldn't say that last season. Now I have Glenavon people around me and we are all up for the fight.

"Last year I inherited a side and some of the players didn't belong here. Now I have a stronger panel of players with healthy competition for places."

Ballymena United will provide another tough examination for Glenavon, as Malone admits: "They lost to Linfield at Windsor Park but there is never any disgrace when that happens."

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